reverse basic words - 1 Flashcards
adjective: extremely controversial, incendiary
It only takes one person to leave an inflammatory comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation.
inflammatory
noun: the quality of being different
The cynic quipped, “There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to lie”.
variance
noun: one who spends money extravagantly
Taking weekly trips to Vegas, Megan was a spendthrift whose excesses eventually caught up to her.
spendthrift
adjective: to be negligent in one’s duty
Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principal was relieved of his position after only three months.
remiss
adjective: wealthy
The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence.
affluent
adjective: extremely bad or shocking; evil, or caused by the Devil
- Conditions in the prison were diabolical.
- His driving is diabolical!
diabolical
noun: a person without morals who is disapproved of
Mr. Smith’s two boys couldn’t be more different; one was a hard-working and principled, the other was the town reprobate, always having run-ins with the law.
reprobate
verb:
- If you tender for a job, you make a formal offer to do it for a stated price:
- to give or offer something:
example: Please tender the exact fare.
noun: a written or formal offer to supply goods or do a job for an agreed price:
- The council has invited tenders for the building contract.
tender
adjective: angry because of something that is wrong or not fair:
example: She wrote an indignant letter to the paper complaining about the council’s action.
indignant
adjective: very thorough; complete
As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle.
thoroughgoing
noun: the highest point
At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.
pinnacle
adjective: to be modest and shy
The portrait of her in a simple white blouse was sweet and demure.
demure
adjective: revealing
The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough.
telltale
adjective: likeable; easy to talk to
For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn’t around other people.
affable
adjective: plentiful; pouring out in abundance
During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles wearing nothing more than skimpy shorts.
profuse
noun: the instance in which an accidental, fortunate discovery is made
By pure serendipity, Sarah discovered, at a flea market in Peoria, a matching earring to replace the one that fell down the storm drain back home.
serendipity
adjective: carelessly and hastily put together
The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building.
slapdash
verb: to trick or swindle
Once again a get-rich-fast Internet scheme had duped Harold into submitting a $5,000 check to a sham operation.
noun: a person who is easily tricked or swindled
he is an innocent dupe
dupe
verb: to yearn for
Standing forlornly by the window, she pined for her lost love.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
pine
adjective: spending money wisely
He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.
thrifty
noun: a long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval:
In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face.
tirade
noun: the peak or highest point
After hiking for seven days, the climbers finally reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
noun: a meeting of high-level leaders
Since climate change policy has been mired in congressional fighting, this summit should help set the goals for president’s next term.
summit
noun: a long piece of writing, especially one that is boring or expresses an unreasonably strong opinion:
- a ranting screed against American imperialism
- We had to wade through screeds of complex analysis.
screed
verb: to pursue relentlessly; to hound
Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
dog
verb: to spellbind or enthrall
The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second.
mesmerize
adjective: to have a very strong desire for revenge
Though the other girl had only lightly poked fun of Vanessa’s choice in attire, Vanessa was so vindictive that she waited for an entire semester to get the perfect revenge.
vindictive
verb: to support financially
The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with underwriting from the Carnegie Endowment.
underwrite
adjective: friendly
Amy’s name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president.
amiable
adjective: having a depressing or gloomy outlook
With no job, the future looked bleak.
bleak
adjective: unpredictable; strange and unconventional
- He drove in an erratic course down the road.
- She can be very erratic; one day she is friendly and the next she’ll hardly speak to you.
erratic
verb: to make nervous or upset
At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly “Magoosh-ing”, and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions.
unnerve
adjective: suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome
- Even the police were horrified at the macabre nature of the killings.
- She has a pretty macabre sense of humor.
macabre
noun: the highest point of achievement
The new Cessna airplanes will be the acme of comfort, offering reclining seats and ample legroom.
acme
verb: to examine and remove objectionable material
Every fall, high school English teachers are inundated by requests to censor their curriculum by removing The Catcher in the Rye and Scarlet Letter from their reading lists.
noun: an official who censors material
The censor insisted that every reference to drugs should be removed from the manuscript.
censor
adjective: unwilling to be noticed or to be with other people:
Nelson was always the first to leave soirees—rather than mill about with “fashionable” folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
retiring
adjective: straightforward and honest
Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back.
candid
verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing
The bankrobber was indicted on several major charges, including possession of a firearm.
indict
noun: a particular amount of money that is paid regularly to someone:
He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of paying for his college tuition.
stipend
noun: the highest point; culmination
At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts.
zenith
verb: to read very carefully
Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signatures at the bottom.
peruse
adjective: originating in a certain area
The plants and animals indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S—one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you’re not dealing with an opossum.
indigenous
verb: to make an error
He erred in thinking that “indigent” and “indignant” were synonyms.
err
verb: involved in argument or contention
These days we are never short of a D.C. politician embroiled in scandal—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one imbroglio, can sink their teeth into a fresh one.
embroiled
adjective: unable to pay one’s bills; bankrupt
With credit card bills skyrocketing, a shockingly large number of Americans are truly insolvent.
insolvent
verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect
At first the soccer players bantered back and forth, but as soon as one of the players became demeaning, calling the other’s mother a water buffalo, the ref whipped out a red card.
demean
verb: to pursue relentlessly
An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms—he even helped nab Al Capone.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
hound
noun: a person who doesn’t like to spend money (because they are greedy)
Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.
miser
adjective: If something is telling, it shows the true nature of a person or situation.
Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
telling
adjective: very hungry; approaching an activity with gusto
Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day.
voracious
verb: to flood or overwhelm
The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.
inundate
